The Evolution of Agronomy: Looking Back to Look Forward

Growing up on Eyre Peninsula during the difficult farming seasons of the 1980s taught me some early lessons that have remained relevant throughout my career. Wind erosion, low rainfall, high interest rates and tight farm margins reinforced the importance of managing risk and getting crop establishment right. At the time, agronomy was largely focused on visible problems above ground, weeds, nutrition and obvious disease challenges. Yet many of the biggest constraints were hidden below the soil surface.

Over the following decades, I had the opportunity to witness and contribute to many of the major transitions in Australian agronomy. Programs such as TOPCROP shifted our thinking towards identifying and removing yield constraints. The emergence of pulse crops brought new opportunities and challenges, including diseases such as CMV in lupins. No-till and stubble retention transformed soil conservation and moisture management. Root disease research led by scientists such as Dr Paul Harvey and Dr Alan McKay increased our understanding of pythium and rhizoctonia, while technologies such as PreDicta B and GreenSeeker introduced a new era of diagnostics and data-driven decision making.

My time with Syngenta was particularly influential. Through the development of seed treatment technologies, application systems and national trial programs, I saw firsthand how research could be translated into practical grower benefits. The industry's journey from "pickle to performance" helped shift seed treatments from simply protecting against bunt and smut to improving root health, establishment and yield. Technologies only succeeded when they solved genuine constraints and delivered measurable outcomes for growers.

As agronomy evolved, so too did the role of the agronomist. What began as crop advice increasingly became systems thinking, leadership and risk management. Leading teams of agronomists, supporting product innovation, managing complex industry issues and helping growers navigate uncertainty reinforced that successful agronomy is as much about people, communication and decision-making as it is about technical expertise.

Looking ahead, the next decade may bring even greater change. Genetics will increasingly become the first line of defence against insects and diseases, potentially reducing reliance on some traditional crop protection products. The challenge will be to reassess economic thresholds that were developed for older varieties, lower yielding systems and different market conditions. At the same time, advances in diagnostics, biologicals, data analytics and artificial intelligence will provide new opportunities to better understand and manage production constraints.

Future farming systems may move beyond managing paddock averages towards managing the rhizosphere itself. Permanent crop rows, targeted amelioration, biological products delivered into active root zones, moisture sensors integrated into seeders and long-coleoptile wheats capable of accessing deeper moisture all point towards a more precise approach to establishment. The Future Drought Fund Hybrid Seeder Project is one example of how engineering, agronomy and genetics may combine to create the next generation of crop establishment systems.

Markets will also continue to shape agronomy. The industry is already seeing the impact of biofuel demand, sustainability requirements, provenance and traceability. Future agronomists may need to understand not only soils and crops, but also carbon accounting, supply chains, quality assurance and market access. Record keeping and stewardship will become increasingly important as consumers and end users seek greater confidence in how products are produced.

Despite all the changes, one thing remains constant. Good agronomy is still about understanding constraints, managing risk and helping growers make better decisions. The tools may be vastly different to those available when I started my career, but the goal remains the same: establishing healthier crops, making the best use of available resources and turning innovation into practical outcomes for growers.

If the past 30 years have taught us anything, it is that the future of agronomy will not be driven by a single product, technology or breakthrough. It will come from the integration of genetics, diagnostics, machinery, biology, data and people working together to solve the next generation of farming challenges.